Talk about morale being through the roof! As the lads began arriving at The County Ground this afternoon, it looked as though they were all 10ft tall – and that was due to the battling performance that saw us progress in the County Cup last weekend. That performance in Rochdale seven days ago really showed the battling spirit in this relatively young group of lads – so today’s quest was of a completely different nature. W were welcoming bottom of the pile Heywood St James for this one but knowing that they hadn’t won a point so far this season could be a cross for us to bear – so Wayne, Callum and Brian were busy trying to get their boys to focus. There was a job to be done here – so we needed to do it…

There was some really good news on the squad front as well – because today saw the return of Stephen from injury and Ricky was available for the first time since his ban on the opening day of the season. Add to that the fact that Liam Hulme was back from his 1st team duties and as the lads warmed up, the coaches were pretty happy with what they had available to them. So as the team was announced, it saw three changes to the team that started at Springfield Park seven days ago. In came Liam Hulme and the returning Matty at full-backs in place of Aaron and Rav and after changing the game when he came on last week, Nathan was given a start on the left-hand side of the attacking three. The bench was strong – with Ben and Bradders joined by Rav, Ricky and Ste – and as kick-off approached, all the lads were asked to do was to start from minute one. We struggled to get out of the blocks in the last few ganes so it was important we did that here and try and put this game to bed as soon as we could. The rain had poured all week and although it was wet, the pitch had held up well and it was a great surface to play quick, slick football on. That’s when we’re at our best so that’s what we needed to do this afternoon. The scene was set. We just had to do our stuff now…

But once again, we were slow out of the blocks and within the first 2 minutes, the visitors could have taken the lead. They had knocked the ball into the space between Chris and our back four and with nobody taking responsibility, it left their striker clean through on goal. Thankfully his shot was woeful and went about 6 yards high and wide of the post – but that surely had to be a warning that we could not expect to simply turn up and win this…

We did start getting forward though and with 5 minutes on the watch, it was us that came close to opening the scoring. Feeding the ball out wide on the left, Nathan managed to squeeze in a great cross that met the run of Liam Haycock about 12 yards from goal. He connected with a great header that lofted over their keeper – but also just over bar. It probably looked closer to the target from where we were standing but it was better to have the ball in their box than ours. Minutes later it was pretty much the same – as the County fans were about to celebrate only to see the ball go wide of the mark. Some good work from Liam Hulme saw him slide an inch=perfect pass into the path of Robbo and he smashed his shot goal-bound – only for it to veer off at the last moment and out for a goal-kick. This was more like it though…

We got closer. Winning a corner over on the left, once more Nathan played a pin-point cross in that saw Robbo rise highest and as he stretched his neck back, he got his forehead to the bar – but not as much as he would have liked – and with the home fans looking on hopefully, the bar slammed against the crossbar and went over. Despite the slow start, all of the attacking play was being played in the St James penalty box now and that was more comfortable for all concerned…

But then we were guilty of pressing the self-destruct button and if there is one thing that could potentially defeat this squad, it is our discipline and football intelligence – because we make silly decisions at silly times of the game. With only 13 minutes gone and us having most of the ball, we then went down to 10 men when from nowhere, Robbo received a red card. In all honesty we didn’t see it – but his dismissal was for violent conduct and we were now going from being on top – to having to sit back and work out how we were going to approach this now. Robbo realised his mistake – and fair play to the lad, he apologised to his team-mates at the break – but we all need to understand that to win football matches, we need 11 players on the pitch. It’s not just Robbo – there’s more to come – but if ever there was a public forum by which to let the lads know how serious we are when we say that discipline has to improve, then it has to be in the Match Reports. On went the game – and now with our backs to the wall, we had to find a way of getting the result here. We did it on the first day of the season with only 9 men – so could we do it here?

Well with 22 minutes on the watch, we certainly made it harder for ourselves. Struggling to get to grips with being a man down, we began retreating back towards our goal – and this invited the visitors to play higher up the pitch – and it was no surprise when they took the lead. Another direct ball through the middle seemed to catch us a little flat-footed and with their striker once again clean through on goal, this time he gave Pomf no chance as he slammed his shot low and hard into the back of our net. 0-1 and this was going to show the character in this squad now…

And things got worse. A lot worse. Because just past the half-hour mark, the visitors had doubled their lead. This time it was another gift in truth – as they won a free-kick about 35 yards from goal, they swung the ball towards goal and in an attempt to get it over his bar, all Pomf could do was swipe it into the back of his net. This was disastrous! Unbeaten since July and now we found ourselves two goals behind and a man down! What was going on here…

We decided to bring Ste into the fray for his first competitive action of the season in place of Callum and determined to get at least a foothold in this game before the break, the coaches were urging their troops to get hold of the ball, stop panicking and start doing what we know we can do. Things weren’t helped when there was a blatant elbow to the face of Alex Williams – but the referee hadn’t seen it and Alex was desperate to keep telling him what had happened. The game went on and thankfully we started to play a bit of football – but Lewis was finding it hard to keep hold of it battling against both their centre-halves and with Nathan and Ste working hard to organise where they needed to be, it just wasn’t clicking. And on the whistle for the break, it was County going in with all to do. And all to do with 9 men for 10 minutes at least – as Alex was persistent in his berating of the match official for missing what everybody else had seen – but the referee had heard enough, brandished the card and informed us all that Mr Williams was now sin-binned for the start of the second period. Wayne, Callum and Brian had their work cut out now…

Half-time: BOLTON COUNTY RESERVES 0-2 Heywood St James Reserves

As you can appreciate, the air in the home changing room was pretty blue as the coaches set about their task. Callum was furious and was quick to inform the lads of his distain of those first 45 minutes. Everything said before the game had been forgotten and it looked as though we thought we could just as we wanted, point fingers at others and not take responsible for ourselves. That doesn’t win football matches. Hard work, commitment and a passion to want to do the best you can individually and then collectively are qualities that good teams have. But when we are going to lose our tempers and forgot the football, then we are simply average – so with the shouting and screaming over, it was time to plan. We were going to bring Ricky on in place of Lewis and we were going to drop Nath and Ste a little to support Liam in the middle of the park. We had to score the next goal and if we all gave it 110%, there was no reason that it wouldn’t come. Get in and around Ricky from Chris’ goal-kicks and feed off him – and let’s see where it takes us. Wayne reminded them that they cannot allow all of their hard work since that opening friendly of the season go down the pan as easily as this and if we are to eventually lose, it has to be to a better team. These weren’t better than us – they were just using their football brains – so it was up to us to turn that around. The drinks were drunk and with their ears still ringing, they were quickly back out there looking to right the wrongs…

The second period started with us showing a little more intensity and when we did get the ball forward, we were looking more likely. But in our efforts to get back into the game, we were also leaving bigger gaps – and having 9 men wasn’t helping. This was a case of battening down the hatches at least until we got Alex back on the pitch and credit to the lads out there as they were working their socks off in order to do it. With 55 minutes gone Alex came back into the action and now would we see a more attacking-minded County?

There were still tackles flying in from both sides and Robbie saw himself in the referee’s notebook when he fouled their striker just inside our half. Knowing that this referee was more than happy to use those darn cards, Wayne had no choice to bring him off – as he will be needed for much bigger challenges ahead – so on came Rav as we moved to move of a 3-5-1 shape. And you know what? We started to see a lot more of the ball now and in better areas – and to give the home faithful a glimmer of hope, on 68 minutes we managed to grab a goal back. Alex and Nathan had a conversation with the former telling the later to make a run and Mr Williams dinked it over the top on the half volley. It was beautifully ran onto by Nathan before he calmly slotted the ball under their keeper! A great goal all round! 1-2 and was that the lifeline we needed?

Another card was issued when Alex was adjudged to have made a poor tackle when in truth, he was absolutely knackered really – but on went the game and with the team in blue now having most of the ball, the away side were now the ones with their backs going further towards their own goal. We thought we’d levelled when the ball found it’s way to Liam Haycock and he unleashed a corker of a shot that their keeper did marvellously well to get it and tip wide for a corner – but this was better now and if we could keep it down this end, all the better…

Alex then came off in a move that saw Ben brought on into the middle of the park and with 75 minutes gone, we had a glorious chance to make it all-square. More good work from Ricky down our left saw him give the ball to Nathan and he played it right across the heart of their goal to find Ste charging in from the right. But showing that he hadn’t played for a while. he got his feet all tied-up and couldn’t force the ball home. It will come back for him – but just not then when we really needed it…

The visitors were seeing having chances though and when they did manage to get past Gatesie, Matty and Liam Hulme, Pomf was making some really good saves to keep us in with a chance. And on 82 minutes, it came. As the St James lads came forward, Liam Hulme won a great tackle about 30 yards from our goal. The ball went forward and so did Liam – winning another challenge and then another – before he played a great 1-2 that saw him into their penalty box and as he looked up, he fed a lovely pass into the feet of our Ricky. Some quick feet saw him presented with a chance to shoot and as the ball looked destined for the back of their net, across came their defender – but all he could do was help it on it’s way in! We had done it! From the jaws of defeat we had shown some real mettle here and managed to pull it back to 2-2. Could we go on and snatch it now? There was still time….

Bradders came on and Lewis was brought back into the action as we were going for it – and with minutes left on the clock, the next goal would surely be the winner. Wayne, Callum and Brian really wanted the three points now and as they urged their players forward, they were also aware of the dangers of conceding again. Ricky had been a constant menace to their back four since coming on and with Nath and Ste trying to get up and support him, at times it looked as though we had the extra man out there. But it wasn’t to be and with only 60 added seconds, the whistle went to end this pulsating encounter and although St James had secured their first point of the campaign, we had also shown some real balls to not lose this. The handshakes were done with respect but it had been a bitty game and tensions were running high still as the players left the pitch. The referee had played a major part in this match today which didn’t help – but there can be no excuses for some of our actions today and as we came back into the changing-room, we all knew it…

As expected, the coaches were happy with the point as they would have taken that at the break – but in truth, this is a case of two points dropped really. The lads didn’t need blasting again – they knew what had gone wrong – and it was at least pleasing to see some of them put their hands up and admit their parts in it. It’s forgotten now and we move on. Discipline has improve plain and simple – as we will always find it hard playing against more men than us! Next weekend sees us travel over to Butler Park to take on 7th placed Atherton Town A and we know that if we want to come home from there with at least a share of the spoils, there will need to be a marked improvement on this one. Many thanks to the travelling contingent for making this such a topsy-turvy game and we wish you all the best of the rest of the season. And a massive shout-out to the County Ultras that are starting to show up every week. It would be great to see loads more of you there cheering us on…

And as the dust settled on Radcliffe Road for another week (or at least until our Women play tomorrow) this really felt strange. We should have been ecstatic coming from two goals down with 9/10 men – but it did feel like a loss for some strange reason. Maybe this unbeaten run is playing on our minds. But the good thing is – at least it’s still intact!

See you in seven days time…

#UpTheCounty!